Where to sit, sip and slow down in Gaziantep.
Coffee shops, bakeries with seats and the places Gaziantep lingers in over a cortado.
Tahmis Kahvesi has poured coffee beside the Gaziantep spice market since 1635, and menengiç, the wild pistachio brew, is what to order here.
Signature drink: Menengiç kahvesi
Tip: Backgammon boards and live saz appear most evenings. Sit in the vaulted room, not the street tables.
Kahveci Seddar Bey serves a two-colour dibek coffee inside the Gümrük Han in Gaziantep, ground under a mallet in a stone mortar behind the counter.
Signature drink: Çift renkli dibek kahvesi
Tip: Closed Mondays, open 09:00 to 19:00 the other six days. Enter through the han gate, not from the street.
Papirüs Cafe occupies a restored Armenian mansion in Bey Mahallesi, and its vine-shaded Gaziantep courtyard is the calmest table in the old city.
Signature drink: Zahter çayı
Tip: The courtyard fills by mid-afternoon. Come before noon if you want a table under the vines.
Havara Kitap Kafe is a women-run book cafe in Karagöz, Gaziantep, built from reclaimed materials across several levels with a lending library.
Signature drink: Türk kahvesi
Tip: Service is partly self-serve and not always signposted. Order at the counter to save waiting.
Yeşilçam Kahve Evi lines its walls with Turkish film stills in İbrahimli, and it is the Gaziantep cafe in this district that stays open latest.
Signature drink: Türk kahvesi
Tip: The upstairs room is quieter. Downstairs runs nargile and gets smoky after dark.
Kahve Tiryakisi pairs single-origin filter coffee with a full Turkish breakfast in Yeditepe, which is unusual for Gaziantep outside the old city.
Signature drink: Filter coffee from the chain's own roast
Tip: Breakfast runs long here. Budget ninety minutes rather than a quick coffee stop.
Brezılıan Coffee Co pulls espresso near Gaziantep University and runs ceramic-painting sessions, which draws a student crowd until midnight.
Signature drink: Pistachio latte
Tip: The door between the two rooms lets smoke through. Ask for the far side if that matters.
Mösyö Cafe & Restaurant looks over Kavaklık in Gaziantep and works as a breakfast room, a coffee stop and a live-music venue on the same terrace.
Signature drink: Türk kahvesi
Tip: Live music starts late. Come in the morning if you want the terrace quiet.
Valens Life Cafe in Batıkent builds its reputation on a long Gaziantep breakfast spread, and the Turkish coffee afterwards arrives on the house.
Signature drink: Türk kahvesi
Tip: Tables turn slowly at weekends. Arrive before 10:00 or expect to wait for the big tables.
Treff Bistro sits under the trees of Kavaklık Park in Gaziantep, a patio cafe for breakfast and coffee that moves indoors when the weather turns.
Signature drink: Filtre kahve
Tip: Live music runs some evenings. Ask when you book if you would rather avoid it.
Orkide Pastanesi is the Gaziantep patisserie chain locals send visitors to, with chocolates, cakes and a breakfast spread on Gazi Muhtar Paşa.
Signature drink: Türk kahvesi
Tip: The breakfast is the value order. The chocolate counter is better for gifts than for dessert.